Most government officials consider a posting in Northeast India or the Andaman & Nicobar Islands a punishment on account of the remoteness and the lack of ‘amenities’. In my case these are the very reasons I treasure such postings. The five years I spent in Itanagar with the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), in the beautiful land of hornbills, were among the best of my life.
The lack of comforts was no bother, but what troubled me was the onslaught of ‘developmental activities’ that are dismantling the very natural infrastructures that make landscapes such as Arunachal Pradesh so unique and so vital to the survival of the Indian subcontinent.
Road construction between Yingkiong and Tuting has resulted in several landslides. This will soon become the norm as heavy rainfall on destabilised slopes triggers more frequent mudslides. Bulldozers and JCBs will then have to be stationed permanently, year around, to clear road blockages. The impact of the noise pollution from heavy earthmoving machinery and their impact on vertebrates and slow-moving herpetofauna can only be imagined. It’s a lucrative business and one must be there to witness the massive number of earth-moving heavy equipment deployed in one of the world’s most biodiverse wonderlands. The Itanagar Wildlife Sanctuary has been particularly badly hit and poor town planning and faulty drainage systems have literally choked Itanagar. At one time this was a secluded natural haven. In the past few years, the number of vehicles has quadrupled and traffic jams, chaos, dust and pollution are the order of the day.
EXPLORING THE UPPER SIANG
Between October 24 and November 5, 2017, a team of researchers from the ZSI participated in an expedition to the Dihang-Dibang Biosphere Reserve (DDBR). Two teams were formed, one for the Mouling National Park in Upper Siang district (of which I was part) and the other for the Dihang Wildlife Sanctuary in the Anini district. The Ramsingh and Mombdo Range Officer, Rupir Boli, and village elders said they had never had any visitors and cautioned that the Adi tribe living in Mouling were seasoned hunters, their homes replete with trophies of wild animals.
Esta historia es de la edición June 2018 de Sanctuary Asia.
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Esta historia es de la edición June 2018 de Sanctuary Asia.
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Why Children Are Needed To Help Save The World
On my very first day in India, I encountered many marvelous new customs not practiced in the United States, my home country. But the most curious by far involved trees. Here and there, alongside the roaring streets of Mumbai were rings of marigold wreathed around twisting banyan trunks like dried rays of afternoon sunlight…
Who's Who?
Fact: all toads are frogs, but not all frogs are toads! Let’s unpack this...
The Sea Raptor
The White-bellied Sea Eagle Haliaeetus leucogaster is one of the most common raptors along the Indian coastline. Nevertheless, the sight of this soaring, broad-winged, white and black bird of prey is nothing less than majestic
Bringing Up Bob Hoots.
While we were visiting a friend’s farm in the village of Yelachetty, near Bandipur Tiger Reserve, we found Spotted Owlets nesting on the tiled roof… and one of the chicks on the kitchen floor!
Yala, Land Of The Leopard
Yala is not only Sri Lanka’s second-largest, but also the most-visited national park in the island nation.
The Wizards Of Oz!
Australia is not only a country, but also a continent. The land down under, cut-off from the rest of the world has an abundance of unique species of native animals, birds, reptiles, insects and plants.
Scales & Tails
I was really excited and looking forward to the workshop on reptiles and amphibians at Nature’s Nest in Mollem, Goa, between June 24 and 26, 2017. It was my opportunity to meet renowned herpetologist Varad Giri.
Big, Brilliant And Endangered
When one thinks of elephants, the first word that probably comes to mind is BIG! But elephants, while they may be the largest creatures on land, are not just big and powerful, they’re wise and sensitive as well. Recent scientific studies have established that they are among the most intelligent animals in the world.
Earth Manners
Everyday habits matter! Let’s be kind to the planet, animals and ourselves!
World Scan
CHINA’S IVORY TOWNAn explosive investigation by the Environmental Investigation Agency has revealed how criminal gangs originating from an obscure town in southern China have come to dominate the smuggling of ivory tusks poached from African elephants.
